


Fear Gas

by Lumiel_lightbringer



Series: Mystery Mastermind [1]
Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Comfort, Comfort/Angst, Fear, Gen, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, I probably missed a few tags, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Injury, Kidnapping, Major Character Injury, Near Death, Near Death Experiences, Pain, Past Character Death, The death tags are for something different, Trauma, just trust me on this, no one dies, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2020-09-29 19:44:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20441483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumiel_lightbringer/pseuds/Lumiel_lightbringer
Summary: The plan was simple: Get in, get info, get out.But what was not simple, was the mass amounts of back-up Scarecrow had up his sleeve.Nor was the new and improved - in his eyes, at least - Fear Gas brewed, bottled, and ready to be used on the unsuspecting teens.The six had been trained to expect the worst from any and all villains. Especially Joker and Scarecrow. Those two know what their doing, no matter how mentally fucked up either are - ahem, Joker.But they never expected Scarecrow's new toxin to be so... Bad.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Young Justice fanfic so sorry if it's bad -  
Also I know the action scenes are shit so I apologize for that as well.  
Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy~

  
~

The room was empty, except for the hologram projection of the city.

Batman stands behind it as the six teens enter the room, peering around before stopping in front of the hologram.

"The Scarecrow has escaped from the Arkham Asylum." Batman begins, the mentioned building glowing for a minute, before an unmarked warehouse claims the light.

"We have managed to pinpoint his location to this warehouse." He peers up at them, though anyone with a brain and eyes could see that he was mainly eyeing Robin. "I need you to get in without being detected, gather information on his plan and how much

weaponry - of any kind - and get out."

"Yes, Sir." They all answer.

"This is a covert mission. If anyone gets spotted, rendezvous at this building and call one of the League." A tall building labeled with Wayne Enterprise shines blue. Robin bites back a smirk at Batman's brilliant subtlety.

"Yes, Sir." They repeat before Aqualad turns and leads them all out - all but Robin.

"I'll catch you guys there." He calls, earning a rather confused, a slightly concerned look from Kaldur.

"Are you sure?"

"Dude, I can literally disappear in a split second." He says with a slightly smug smirk, "I'll catch you guys. There." He repeats with emphasis that reassures Kaldur enough to leave.

Robin turns to Batman to see him frowning.

"What?"

"Bravado gets people killed." He answers, and the frown is gone.

"It wasn't bravado." Robin answers bluntly. "It was lying. I got you text. What do you want?"

"I'm worried about you." Batman replies, waving the projection away so he can approach his son. "You have been getting lower scores in training. You're failing in Black Canary's sparing session. Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Robin says quickly, taking a step away. "And those scores weren't my fault! Wally was distracting me..."

Batman lets out a deep sigh, "You would tell me if something was wrong, right?"

Robin smiles lightly and nods, "Yeah, of course."

With hesitation, Batman slowly nods and gestures towards the door, "Then you can go. Be careful."

"I will."

Robin turns and races out the door. If only Batman could see through his lies.


	2. Chapter 2

~

"Why does everywhere in Gotham that isn't a dark, abandoned warehouse still look like a dark, abandoned warehouse?" Wally whispers, earning a smack in the arm from Artemis.

"This is a dark, abandoned warehouse, dipwad."

"Guys, quiet." Kaldur mutters, turning to Miss M and nodding.

A long, aching pain pushing through everyone's mind as the link is set up between the five - no, six.

"What's up, slowpokes?" Robin grins from his perch almost 10 metres off the ground.

The metal walkway has only four thin, rusty horizontal beams to prevent anyone from falling. Said thin, rusty beams are exactly what Robin is sitting on.

_"Hey, that's my line-"_ Kid Flash begins, but is mentally cut off my Miss M practically mind shrieking.

_"Get down from there!"_

_"Ugh, I did trapeze for years that was higher up than this. Calm down, _Auntie_."_ She glares up at him before quickly calling out to him.

_"Robin look out!"_

He turns and is shocked by the three tall men in front of him. One holding a dirty rag that Robin has a bad feeling is soaked in chloroform.

_"Everyone get to the rendezvous point!"_ He shouts while kicking at the man closest, his hands holding onto the flimsy metal for dear life - literally.

They hesitate, about to help, when they hear him scream aloud, "Go!"

Kaldur pushes them out the broken window they entered through, _"I'll help him. Go. Call someone."_

Aqualad climbs the ladders up to the overpass to see Robin on the tallest man's shoulders, his legs choking him.

Using the water from a broken pipe, Aqualad manages to get hold of the man approaching him and throwing them to the right. He slams into the wall before dropping onto the hard, concrete below.

He turns his attention back to the Boy Wonder, running towards him as he kicks the now pinned-down henchman unconscious.

The third man, who was previously lying against the fencing, unconscious, was now stalking up on the younger boy.

"Robin!" Aqualad screams, grabbing more water as fast as he can and whipping it forward at the man, but as Robin is grabbed, he is also shoved in front of him as a human-shield.

The water soaks Robin and, as Kaldur reaches to try - and fail - to get a refill, the dirty cloth is covering his mouth.

Robin kicks and flails, screaming against the now confirmed chloroform rag.

His body falls limp and his eyes flutter closed as Kaldur jumps up and attempts hand-to-hand combat instead.

Punch right, left, fall back, jab chin, kick stomach, punch right, left, right.

He manages to get enough damage onto the man that he is bruised and battered, but not enough for him to give up.

Aqualad himself gets a firm kick to the chest, bruising a rib or two, a split lip, and finally, the grand finale, a crack in his jaw as the man grabs him by the shoulders and knees him hard as he can.

Kaldur stumbles backwards and trips on the broken bar from the railing. His head bangs against the metal ground and his vision darkens. "Robin..." He gasps out, but the rag is soon over his mouth as well.


	3. Chapter 3

~

"Why does everywhere in Gotham that isn't a dark, abandoned warehouse still look like a dark, abandoned warehouse?" Wally whispers, earning a smack in the arm from Artemis.

"This is a dark, abandoned warehouse, dipwad."

"Guys, quiet." Kaldur mutters, turning to Miss M and nodding.

A long, aching pain pushing through everyone's mind as the link is set up between the five - no, six.

"What's up, slowpokes?" Robin grins from his perch almost 10 metres off the ground.

The metal walkway has only four thin, rusty horizontal beams to prevent anyone from falling. Said thin, rusty beams are exactly what Robin is sitting on.

"Hey, that's my line-" Kid Flash begins, but is mentally cut off my Miss M practically mind shrieking.

"Get down from there!"

"Ugh, I did trapeze for years that was higher up than this. Calm down, Auntie." She glares up at him before quickly calling out to him.

"Robin look out!"

He turns and is shocked by the three tall men in front of him. One holding a dirty rag that Robin has a bad feeling is soaked in chloroform.

"Everyone get to the rendezvous point!" He shouts while kicking at the man closest, his hands holding onto the flimsy metal for dear life - literally.

They hesitate, about to help, when they hear him scream aloud, "Go!"

Kaldur pushes them out the broken window they entered through, "I'll help him. Go. Call someone."

Aqualad climbs the ladders up to the overpass to see Robin on the tallest man's shoulders, his legs choking him.

Using the water from a broken pipe, Aqualad manages to get hold of the man approaching him and throwing them to the right. He slams into the wall before dropping onto the hard, concrete below.

He turns his attention back to the Boy Wonder, running towards him as he kicks the now pinned-down henchman unconscious.

The third man, who was previously lying against the fencing, unconscious, was now stalking up on the younger boy.

"Robin!" Aqualad screams, grabbing more water as fast as he can and whipping it forward at the man, but as Robin is grabbed, he is also shoved in front of him as a human-shield.

The water soaks Robin and, as Kaldur reaches to try - and fail - to get a refill, the dirty cloth is covering his mouth.

Robin kicks and flails, screaming against the now confirmed chloroform rag.

His body falls limp and his eyes flutter closed as Kaldur jumps up and attempts hand-to-hand combat instead.

Punch right, left, fall back, jab chin, kick stomach, punch right, left, right.

He manages to get enough damage onto the man that he is bruised and battered, but not enough for him to give up.

Aqualad himself gets a firm kick to the chest, bruising a rib or two, a split lip, and finally, the grand finale, a crack in his jaw as the man grabs him by the shoulders and knees him hard as he can.

Kaldur stumbles backwards and trips on the broken bar from the railing. His head bangs against the metal ground and his vision darkens. "Robin..." He gasps out, but the rag is soon over his mouth as well.


	4. Chapter 4

  
~

"Canary? Yeah, we've been spotted. Robin's been attacked and Kaldur's helping. Should we go back?"

Artemis stands with her communicator to her ear. After neither Arrow responded, she managed to get hold of Dinah. Wally managed to get Barry on the phone as well.

"No. Stay there. We're on our way."

"What about Aqualad and Robin?" She counters.

"Stay put. That's an order." Artemis sighs out a weak 'Yes ma'am' before their communication is cut off.

Wally is clearly screaming- well, whisper-screaming - his head off at Flash. "But Robin's in there!"

"You said it yourself. Aqualad's got it under control. Breathe. I'm on my way." In a split second, Barry is in front of Wally. He shuts his phone and gives his nephew's shoulder a squeeze.

"The League's got this." He reassures.

Wonder Woman, Black Canary, and Batman show up in a few minutes.

Batman approaches Flash first, "Is the perimeter secure?" He asks.

"Yep. Just did it."

"Good. Canary's with me, Wonder Woman, you and Flash go in through the back. Kids," He turns to the four concerned teens, "Get back to the mountain."

Even Superboy and his weak understanding of humans could see the disappointment - and maybe fear? - in the Dark Knight's eyes.

As everyone else departs back into Miss M's ship, Wally weakly raises his hand, which earns him the Bat-Glare quickly. "What?"

"Scarecrow has backup. We were barely inside when we saw them."

"How many?"

"At least three, but probably more... Will Rob be ok?"

"Yes. Get home."

The slanted roof has no protection, nor any motion sensors or cameras, making the break-in easy.

Batman jumps down onto a beam high up inside, Canary following along suit.

"You take left, I take right." She mumbles.

Surprisingly, Batman does as suggested and jumps through a shattered pane into the room right of the walkways.

Black Canary listens intently as she sneaks into the room.

Bright, blue lights flicker on and off from a side-room. A faint buzz comes in time with the lights, and she would swaer up and down that the smell was the foulest, most disgusting she has ever smelt.

The sight was worse, though. With her back to the wall, she leans out and stares into the room.

Aqualad and Robin are in the room, though neither are in the best state.

Both boys are hanging from a oddly sturdy, and shining metal bar two-thirds of the way into the room, closer to the back than the entrance. The handcuffs locking their wrists together are not as new, and have old blood and rust on the inside. Canary prays neither have any infection to add to their conditions.

Their wrists are clearly raw and bloody, though Robin's look worse, with the blood dripping all the way down his forearms. Oh. Wait. No, that isn't from the handcuffs, she realises, as she sees the deep cuts lining his inner forearms.

She swallows thickly and turns forward again, pulling out her communicator and clicks the silent alert button.

In a few seconds, Batman is in the room with her. He presses his back against the wall beside her. "Found them?" He mouths.

She nods and the smell worsens as the buzzing begins again.

With one glance inside, Batman sees the two.

With their uniforms ripped and exposing them quite a lot, he can see electrodes attached onto their skin, shocking them and creating that foul smell.

Aqualad's skin appears bloody and swollen, his Atlantian body unable to handle the electrocution for as long as humans - although Robin's skin doesn't appear that much better, though there is significantly less blistering.

The Boy Wonder, though, appears to have more cuts and bruises painting his skin than the Atlantian. The long gashes are not only on his forearms, as Canary previously saw, but on the inside of his thighs and on his collarbone.

Batman turns back to Black Canary and mouths, "In five. Get them down." She nods in understanding and he holds up five fingers.

When his hand turns into a first, Canary jumps and races in. Two Bat-A-Rangs hit the thugs in their necks, knocking them down.

Canary pulls out a lockpick and starts on Aqualad's cuffs, Batman racing to Robin's side to do the same.

Kaldur's eyes flutter open when he feels his bindings being fiddled with. "No, please-" He gasps out before seeing Canary and letting out a sigh of relief. "Thank you." He whispers out, voice hoarse.

She smiles comfortingly and the first side opens, she lets the Atlantian cling onto her body for support as his right side attempts to take all of his weight. "It's alright, I have you." She mumbles, but before she can get the second unlocked, the nodules on both young heroes turn on.

Canary grunts and Batman grimaces, but neither pull away from the hurt boys.

"Shit!" Kaldur gasps out, tears entering his eyes and he leans his head back. "Please-" He manages out between groans, "Get them off-"

"Oh that won't be happening any time soon." A high-pitched voice from behind them says.

As the older two turn back they are shocked to see Joker standing before them, grinning as usual as four thugs stand around him.

A pair on either side hold either Wonder Woman or Flash, both with power surpressing collars on them.

While Flash looks exhausted and out of breath and honestly rather worse for wear, Wonder Woman is completely unconscious, her skin white and sweat beading at her forehead.

"Let them go." Batman orders, Robin in his arms with the handcuffs on the ground beside him.

"Uh-uh, Batsy. No can do." He says, taking a step inside.

"I have your stuff and you have mine. I think a trade would suit just well."

"No." He spits out, "Let them go and you won't die."

"Ooh-hoo-hoo!" He sings with a cheeky grin, "Batsy's breaking his morals!"

"You have no morals, don't talk." Batman growls.

Canary successfully gets Aqualad down and holds him bridal style. "We outnumber you." She replies.

"Oh no! Four knocked out heroes verses twenty henchmen and two super villains! We'll never win!"

Canary rolls her eyes, "The rest of the League is right outside. You're surrounded. Let us go and you'll have exactly one chance to give yourself up before all Hell is released."

Joker cackles with glee, almost falling down, "Oh, silly silly bird." He exclaims, "You think you can fool me? Me?"

"The insane clown, the sentient stuffed animal with a science kit, and a group of thugs, petty robbers, and pick-pockets? I'm quivering." She snaps, grinning at him with far more confidence than she actually feels.

"Oh, dear Canary..." He mumbles, demeanor suddenly different as he approaches her. He runs a calloused hand down the side of her face, earning a glare and growl from her. "You're fooling no one."

He turns and waves his hands at the thugs, "Drug 'em and drop 'em boys."

Two syringes are injected into Wonder Woman and Flash, and the latter collapses - the former already unconscious, though it was more of a precaution than anything.

Both are dropped onto the ground before the four surround the Joker. "Collect my stuff." He says, waving a hand before disappearing out the door.

In hindsight, the fight should have gone more in favour of the two conscious heroes, but with four collapsed members and their enemies drugged up with someone able to rival Venom, it didn't. Batman spent probably too much time lying down Robin on the ground while Canary was disabled quickly when her mouth was covered.

One man holds her against him with a hand over her mouth, not even letting out a grunt when she bites down on his fingers, while a second wraps a plastic bag around her head.

The tallest man jumps onto Batman's back - what is around his neck? - before he turns back to the fights. He backs up and slams them into the wall but remaining thug uses the distraction to his advantage - why is he so fast? - and shoves a syringe with the same substance that took out the two captured heroes into his neck.

Batman, with his hands busy holding the man on his back there as he tries to knock him out, and the strange object choking him, is left trying to kick the other back. But with his vision doubled and mind muddled, he, instead, loses balance and collapses beside Robin.

Trying desperately to stay conscious, he focuses on his son's face. He can't lose this. He can't. A hard kick to the head chooses for him. He's already lost.


	5. Chapter 5

~

The first thing Kaldur notices when he wakes up is that he isn't in a warehouse.

The next thing he notices is he's also no longer hanging by his wrists. His aching shoulders are grateful for that.

The last thing he notices before his mind wakes up completely, is that he isn't alone.

"Ngh... Shit..." He turns towards the voice and his eyes widen when he sees the Flash lying on the ground in the cell beside him. He is currently trying desperately to sit up, but failing miserably.

"Flash?" He calls, grimacing at how hoarse his voice is. How long has it been since he's been in water? Or even drank anything?

"K- Aqualad?" Barry sits up completely at last, an arm wrapping around his chest and his hand coming to rest on his opposite shoulder, massaging the blade.

"Yes, Sir." He crawls closer to their shared barred wall.

Barry makes a face, and at first Kaldur thinks it's out of pain, "I'm not Batman. Plus I got captured. The formalities can drop."

"Sorry, Sir- Sorry, Flash." Kaldur takes in the pale older man. He's sporting two black eyes - only one shut - and a broken nose. Various cuts can be seen where his suit was torn, and, judging from how out of breath he is, and his arm wrapping around his torso, must have a broken rib or two - maybe even a punctured lung, but Kaldur refuses to think it's that bad. Then again, a full League member got caught on a mission, so it might be worse than he originally thought.

"You ok?" Barry asks, reaching through the bars with his free arm and grabbing the younger's forearms. His touch is light and careful as he brings his wrists closer.

"Damn, these are infected..." He mumbles, gently turning over his arms to see if he has any other injuries. "Can you feel your hands?" He asks, once certain that his wrists are the worst of he wounds - the rest being varying colours of bruises.

Kaldur weakly nods, "Flex your fingers for me." He does as told and slowly bends each of his fingers.

"I need to clean these but you should be fine." He decides, letting go so he can pull his arms back through. "Here, let me check for a concussion, he says, gesturing for him to lean closer.

He carefully pulls up his eyelids and tilts his head towards the light in the centre of the room. "Are you dizzy? Seeing double?" He asks, turning his head a little further to check his left eye.

"No. Neither." He mumbles.

Flash lets go and nods, "No concussion. I think you're good."

Kaldur smiles and thanks him quietly, rubbing his hands together and stretching his fingers now that he knows his wrists are hurt worse than he realised.

"Relax, Bats and Canary will get us out of here. I think Wonder Woman got out of there, too."

"How did you get caught? If you don't mind me asking-" He asks, and Flash waves a hand.

"I don't mind. Like ten thugs came in so we thought it'd be easy, but they were drugged up to Hell and back, and I got my ass kicked. He got a collar on me while I was down and that made me a lot weaker. He did something else to me, I think... I'm not sure what, but after that, I was really exhausted. I think he took my blood. Stuck a syringe in and some glowing shit came out but I was probably delirious..."

Kaldur frowns leaning against the bars, "Glowing?"

"Yeah. Probably nothing. I don't what they'd do with my blood but it can't be good."

Kaldur shrugs, also at a loss. "Maybe they're trying to see what gene allows you to run at light speed."

"Maybe... Probably." He sighs and massages his shoulder, his eyebrows screwed together, "God..." He groans.

"Are you alright?" Aqualad asks, nodding towards his shoulder.

"Yeah. I think the needle was dirty. It feels like I'm getting an infection where he got me."

"We need to get out of here. I do not think either of us want to lose limbs."

"Relax, kid. Someone will find us. No way did they beat me and Wonder Woman. Even if they did, Bats and Canary will get to us an- wait, shit, where's Robin?" Flash stands up only to fall once his left leg tries to take some of his weight. "Fuck- Uhm. Sorry." He mumbles, "Fudge?" He tries.

"Relax, I've heard worse from... Basically everyone else on the Team. Minus Superboy."

"Damn, Batman lets Robin swear?" Flash makes a face at the thought, "Well, he learns from the best..."

He slowly sits back down, being careful with his injured leg. The two sit in relative silence for a few minutes, Kaldur rubbing his palms together absentmindedly and trying to ignore his throat and skin begging for water. And Flash fiddling with the collar around his neck.

After almost an hour of this, Flash suddenly looks up and turns to the younger boy, "Why don't you have a collar on?"

Kaldur glances up, his eyes watering to try and wet his dry eyes. "I'm dehydrated. I am weak enough when I do not have a source of water to control, but to be completely dried out, I might die."

Flash's eyes widen and he gives him a worried look, "Dude, how long has it been since you've had any?"

"At least a couple of hours, but I do not know long we have been down here."

The door slams open before Flash can answer. Both turn to face the entrance.

The metal door bangs against the concrete walls and two men enter, each holding a Akdal MKA 1919.

"Up. Both of you. Now." One orders. The two wear dark sunglasses that hide their eyes an dJoker's trademark face paint covers their features.

Flash uses the barred wall to help support his weight while his hurt leg remains bent at the angle it was when he woke up. Kaldur shakes and his vision swarms as he stands, but the Atlantian manages without the extra support.

The second man approaches unlocking their cages and swinging the fronts up. "Out."

Kaldur leaves first, an arm soon wrapping around Flash's shoulders to him walk.

The men stand behind them, each with the barrel of their guns against their necks. "Forward."

The two are led down the hall and into a larger room with a raised roof.

To their right stands Canary and an unconscious Wonder Woman. They are locked in a cage slightly larger than the ones Aqualad and Flash were in. Two guards stand behind the locked cage, their guns pointed at their heads, most likely the reason Canary has yet to lay Wonder Woman down.

The guns jab at them and Flash and Aqualad stumble forward. Barry ends up using his hurt leg to catch himself, causing him to let out a loud cry.

Canary turns at the noise, "Flash-" she gasps, but one of her guards shouts and she turns back to the front.

Aqualad helps him back up and they enter a cage of their own and the back closes, leaving them practically mirroring Canary and Wonder Woman.

The lights are cut and, for a moment, Aqualad thinks they are saved. Until they flicker back on and are staring at Batman's desheveled form lying in the centre of the room.

A loud cackle rings through the open space, and Joker walks out.

"Oh, Batsy, we've had so much fun." He says, leaning down and grabbing him by the neck, somehow lifting him up off the ground. "But your part is over." He throws him forward with too much strength.

"Lock him up." He mutters to a masked thug before walking towards the two caged pairs.

"Well. Look at this." His wide grin sends shivers down Aqualad's spine.

"Who knew it took so little to do so much." He laughs loudly and doubles over on himself. How is it that funny?

He quickly composes himself and looks up, his face oddly serious all of a sudden, "I suppose you want to know what I did to you to get this," he waves at the now shackled Batman, collapsed beside the pole the handcuffs bind him to. "fabulous display."

Flash pulls himself up enough to shout, "You're sick!" Before coughing up blood. Maybe a punctured lung isn't too far-fetched...

"Oh, I know. But so are you-oo!" He sings.

He turns to Batman as if he's talking to him, "Well, you see, what I did what rather simple... If genetic reassembly is simple." He lets out a loud laugh, then continues. "I simply extracted some form of DNA from you and used it to reconstruct your meta-genetics into my goons." He spins on his heel to face the pairs, "And m_eeee_!" He cackles before turning back to Batman and jumping onto the pole, pushing off and landing in front of Canary.

"Guess who got what." He says, sounding like a kid. "Guess!"

She spits on him and he frowns, wiping her saliva off of his face before whispering, "Not too smart, are you?"

He reaches through the bars and grabs her by the neck, right above the collar. She is lifted into the air, Wonder Woman collapsing to the ground at her side as she gasps for air. "I got Batsy's strength. Though not meta, it serves quite useful when I need to take out the trash."

He drops her to the ground before she passes out, letting her fall on her companion's unconscious form. "Then again, why kill you so quickly when I could have so. Much. Fu-"His words are cut off with a swift kick to the head.

His forehead bangs against the bars and he swivels around to see Batman in front of him. "But I had you-" He begins, but J'onn changes back to himself, earning a minor distraction as Joker takes a second to snap out of his confusion.

It is one second too long, allowing Superman to shoot him with laser vision, burning his chest and knocking him to the ground.

J'onn grabs Joker to knock him out, but the villain kicks him with enough force to push the Martian backwards.

Meanwhile, Superman is burning the handcuffs off of Batman's wrists, stopping before he hits his friend's raw flesh. The sudden heat is enough to wake Batman from his unconscious state.

"What-" He looks up and blinks, "Shit." He mutters.

"Relax. Manhunter and Tornado are taking out the goons. I'll find Robin. Pretend to be unconscious."

Batman shrugs his hand from his shoulder and shakily pushes past him, "No. I'll find Robin." He states, rather bluntly, not that Clark isn't surprised.

Superman turns to see Joker and Martian Manhunter fighting one-on-one while the twenty to thirty hired back-up is getting its ass served back to it by Red Tornado.

He turns back and follows Batman behind where the pole he was tied to.

They disappear into the tent.


	6. Chapter 6

  
~

Robin

It won't stop. Why won't it stop?

I can't breathe, I can't hear.  
  
Everyone is screaming, but it's no longer encouraging cheers, but cries of fear.

Am I screaming, too? Maybe I am. Maybe it's just me.

Maybe I'm alone, by now.

I haven't let go of the trapeze yet.

I have stopped swinging by now, just hanging in mid-air while staring down at their corpses.

Their mangled, bloody corpses.

Their necks shouldn't look like that, should they?

I don't think legs face that way, do they? Or maybe they do. I forget...

Bones usually stay hidden underneath muscle and flesh, don't they? Or maybe not. I forget...

Someone's shouting. I think it's a name. "Richard! Richard, don't let go."

Why aren't they responding? It's getting rather annoying, hearing them shout.

Oh wait. Am I Richard? I forget... Maybe I am.

Maybe I should respond.

What are they saying? 'Don't let go.'

Let go of what?

Oh, right, I'm in mid-air. The wood is chaffing my skin.

It's breaking the callouses on my hands and fingers. Am I bleeding? I think so.

Or maybe that's sweat.

Or both.

Should I let go?

"Don't let go, Richard!" That voice again.

I think I should let go. My fingers loosen, or do they tighten?

I can't feel anything. The pain has stopped. My hands are numb. Or maybe the numbing has stopped, and that's pain.

I don't know.

I forget.

"We're coming. Hang on!"

They look so peaceful on the ground. Are they alive? No, no they shouldn't be. They're necks are twisted and they limbs mangled. They're dead, they have to be. But do they?

Why are they dead and I'm not?

Did someone fail? Should I be dead?

I think I should let go.

"Robin hang on!"

They won't stop yelling at me... Wait, are they? I'm Richard aren't I? Did they say Richard?

I'm scared. Or maybe I'm just numb. Yes, yes that sounds right. I'm numb.

I hear a loud scream, but it sounds more like a whisper. Maybe it was a whisper, but how did I hear it, then?

Everything sounds muffled, like my ears are covered. Are they? I'm not sure.

Wait. I'm not holding onto anything anymore.

I peer up as the wind whips at my face. I look up and see the ceiling getting further away.

"Robin!" Wasn't I Richard? Or maybe not. Maybe I've always been Robin...

No, no I think I'm Richard... But they didn't say Richard, did they?

I... I don't know.

The air hurts. My skin stings. My hands tingle. My arms burn. Everything's wrong.

Or is it?

I don't know. I'm not sure.

I... I don't... I'm not...

Who am I?

Why does everything hurt?

I look back down and the bodies are gone. I blink and they're back. Did they ever leave? Why did I say 'back'?

The ground is getting closer.

Should I be worried? Scared? Maybe. But I don't.

Is there something wrong with me?

Am I going to die?

Wait... Where... Why am I falling?

Who am I?


	7. Chapter 7

~

The red and yellow tent is dark inside except for the bright circular light in the centre, lighting up the sand-coated middle.

Two tall stands are on either side of the circle, both with ladders leading up to flat platforms. In the centre are three swings, all higher up than the top of the platforms.

Batman's face pales in realisation. "No..." He gasps as he spots the familiar figure on the right platform.

Instead of his familiar colourful uniform and domino mask, the boy is dressed in black tights and a white and red tank-top tucked into his pants.

His originally bright blue eyes appear clouded over with a swirl of white fog, though Superman is the only one to notice this.

"His eyes... He's been drugged." Clark informs Bruce, frowning as his nephew approaches the edge of the board.

"No!" Batman shouts, paralyzed with fear. Superman grabs his arm, snapping him out of it. "Get me up there." Bruce orders.

Superman has an arm around his shoulders and is about to fly when Robin races forward the remaining two feet and jumps.

"Robin!" Superman flies him up, only to be stopped by a bullet piercing Batman's leg.

He lets out a grunt and Superman turns to see three armed men behind them.

"Get me up there. Now." He shouts. Superman flies him up, using his body to protect Bruce from the bullets.

What does stop him, is a golden rope wrapping around his waist and pulling him backwards.

Superman turns, accidentally letting Batman out of his grasp. He realises in time and grabs him by the arm, "Hold on. We're coming!" Batman shouts, watching as the boy swings the familiar routine he saw all those years ago.

Superman sees the unarmed man holding Wonder Woman's lasso in hand, grinning in a very Joker-esc way, matching the clown make-up on his face.

Clark shoots him in the chest with his eyes, bringing Bruce to the ground.

Batman collapses to the ground and works to remove the bullet lodged in his femur.

The other two seem oddly confident to be going up against Superman.

He realises this right before one runs out of bullets and drops it only to open his mouth and let out Canary's Cry.

Superman covers his ears, falling to the ground and struggling to get back up. He manages to shoot the first man down before turning his attention to the one piercing his and Batman's ears - for some reason it isn't effecting Robin, although there is undeniably blood dribbling from his ears, he isn't reacting.

The shortest man, still armed with the same shotgun as the guards, races around to reach Bruce, who has just pulled the bullet out of his leg and is trying to bandage it without also going deaf from the Cry.

He lifts Batman off the ground and proceeds to hit him rapid fire in the chest, his gun strapped to his back. He throws the hero to the ground before pointing the firearm at him, but not even his copied Super-Speed could have made him fast enough to see

Superman's laser vision flying towards him.

The gun is knocked from his hands and Superman lifts him off the ground as he did to Batman, throwing him backwards to the end of the tent, watching as he breaks through the fabric and lands outside.

Superman glances up to see Robin swinging back and forth with only one hand holding him up. The other hand is outstretched as he stares wide-eyed at nothing.

"Batman!" Clark shouts, warning tone edging into his voice, turning around to see his friend struggling with his bleeding leg.

He catches him before he falls. Batman glances up to see Robin, now slowing to a halt mid-air while his free hand slowly returns to the bar above him.

"Robin hang on!" He screams and Clark is in the air without another word.

He carries him up through the air quickly, but not quick enough.

Robin's grip loosens and he lets go of the trapeze.

"Robin!" Batman screams, no longer caring about altering his voice in any way.

Clark flies after the boy and catches him only a few feet from the ground.

He then lands safely on the ground and lets go of the two.

Batman grabs Robin and pulls him into his arms. "Oh my God, Robin..." He gasps, running a hand comfortingly up and down his back.

After many minutes staying like that, Superman is able to convince Bruce to let go of him - at least, from the hug. The millionaire refuses to let anyone else hold Robin, despite he himself having a bloody leg.

They return to the domed room to see J'onn and Red Tornado tending to the unconscious Wonder Woman and barely conscious Flash.

"Everyone ok?" Superman asks, looking around to see the alive thugs tied up and scattered about while the dead ones lie in a pile in the corner.

"Just about." Canary coughs out, helping Kaldur stand. Aqualad's skin is clearly dried out and his eyes are rather red.

"Alright. I'm going to carry them back to the Watchtower. They-" He nods to Tornado and Martian Manhunter, "Will get you two home, too."

Kaldur coughs harshly and groans. "I... Water..." He gasps out. Superman gives him a sympathetic look, "J'onn will get you water, don't worry, Aqualad."

Superman takes the place of the two and lifts them both up, one under each arm in a lifeguard's hold, before flying off.

Red Tornado helps Canary up while J'onn helps Kaldur stand.

Tornado pauses and turns to Bruce, "Will you be ok to get home?" He questions, "I can return to help if you need."

"We'll be fine." He responds, already heading off to where the BatWing will land in a few seconds.

The groups all depart and safely return home.


	8. Chapter 8

~

Dick

  
My entire body aches when I wake up. My eyes feel like they're glued shut from the tears in them - oh God, I've been crying.

I manage to pry my eyelids apart and stare up at the bright light above me. "Ngh..." I groan out, turning over only to immediately regretting it.

"How do you feel?" My father's familiar baritone relaxes me considerably.

"Definitely feeling the aster..." I manage to choke out, finding my throat sore and quite dry.

Bruce smiles and gently runs a hand through my hair.

"You scared me..." He whispers, tears in his eyes. My eyes widen and I tilt my head.

"What happened?"

Bruce sits down on my bed, thumbing over my cheek and staring at me with worry-filled eyes. "What's the last thing you remember?"

I furrow my eyebrows in though. What is the last thing I remember? "Uhm... I think I was at a warehouse... No I-" My voice cuts off as my breath hitches and I suddenly feel winded.

_Their bodies shouldn't look that way... They shouldn't be down there... Why are they down there?_

"It- I- I don't..."

Bruce gently pulls me into a hug, his chin resting on the top of my head, "Breathe..."

"Why?" I croak out, sobs bursting out in between rough, jagged breaths.

"Fear Gas..." He whispers, "Scarecrow wasn't there, but Joker was. Scarecrow made a new Fear Gas that made you conscious and altered your surrounding in your mind. You were in a similar tent that day. You actually performed the same routine before..."

I bury my face in his chest, "I hate it... I hate remembering... I wish I could just forget that entire day..." I cry out, "Or at least... I wish I didn't see their corpses..."

Bruce runs his hand up and down my back, "Breathe... Breathe... It's alright, Dickie, it's alright..."

"I-I-I could've saved them- saved her- my mother... She was just... So close... I could have - I should have grabbed her hand- then I'd have at least one parent..."

He rubs my back, "Don't blame yourself, Dick. Don't... It'll only end badly."

I choke out a sob and shake my head, "But it is my fault!"

"No it isn't." He insists, his fingers carding through my hair, "It's not your fault. It never was..."

"But-" He pulls away and looks down at me with serious eyes. I slowly close my mouth and look down.

"It's not your fault, Dick. You've gotten so far to believe that. Don't let Joker's horrible games hurt you. Don't let him get to you."

I nod and bite my lip, mumbling out a weak 'sorry' as I try to calm my breathing.

After a few more minutes of Bruce hugging me in silence I ask him quietly, "Why did Scarecrow give Joker the Fear Gas if he wasn't there?"

"We don't know yet. The League is getting on it."

I peer up at him, "And why did Joker have all of that set up if my getting caught was a mistake?"

"He could have expected it." He answers. "Scarecrow escaped and they probably led us to that warehouse, knowing that either the Team of the League would go there. They were lucky they got who they planned for. What I'm more concerned about is Joker's genetic-enhancement. He took our genetics - the captured League's - and gave their powers to humans."

I stare up at him, "He did _what_?" I exclaim, "Why didn't you lead with that?"

He smiles lightly, brushing my hair behind my ears, "Don't worry, they didn't get your highly powerful meta abilities." He quips and I shoot him a weak glare. He's joking? I guess he's happier to see me than I thought.

"Well I'm flexible so-"

"True. He did take my strength, though. And that isn't a meta power..."

"Wait," I lean back and close my eyes as I try to understand, "So he took the powers of whoever came to save us, but he also got your non-powers?"

"He also got Wonder Woman's powers and stole her lasso. We got it back, though."

"I don't think Joker's working alone, or just with Scarecrow, Bruce." I mumble, opening my eyes and looking up at him with a deep frown. "I think Riddler or Cadmas is involved. For that type of genetic scrambling..."

"I agree." He nods, "It's most likely Cadmas. Riddler's smart, but not Cadmas smart. Definitely not."

I nod and he puts a hand on my shoulder, "We'll figure this out, chum. For now, get some rest. You took a beating."

I look down at myself and my eyes widen. Gauze covers from my wrists to my biceps, with more wrapping my thighs. "I look like the cheapest Christmas present maybe ever..." I mutter, laying back down and curling up.

"Trust me, you're not cheap. You're the best present I've ever gotten." Bruce replies, then makes a face and mutters, "That was too cheesy. Let's forget I said that."

I let out a light laugh and he smiles, leans down and kisses my forehead. "Get some rest. I love you."

"Love you too." I smile and close my eyes, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Whether it's from the sedative or from Bruce's comforting words, I don't know, but I'd bet money on the latter.

We will figure this case out. But first, everyone needs to recover, including me.


End file.
